Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

The cheers threatened to overturn the very heavens, while on the ancient clans’ side, there was only silence.

As the Lu clan departed, the onlookers were overcome with a complex mix of emotions. No one had imagined that this battle, watched by the whole world, would end in the Lu clan’s defeat.

The Daxia Sword Sect’s victory wasn’t theirs alone. It gave the Six Territories a foundation of confidence in their struggle against the ancient clans. Those clans had once loomed like peaks too high to climb, unconquerable no matter the effort, but the Daxia Sword Sect had shown they weren’t invincible.

Still, the clear-headed among the crowd knew better than to let a single victory go to their heads. The Daxia Sword Sect had produced five genius cultivators, all under a hundred years old and in the late Illusory Refinement Realm. That alone was something no other sect could hope to match. Even if they pooled every last resource, they would still struggle to stand against the ancient clans, and few sects would be willing to stake everything the way the Six Gates Holy Sect had.

Furthermore, if Li Guanqi had failed to match Lu Wuhen’s strength and break through to the Combined Body Realm alongside him, he would have faced an extraordinarily powerful sword cultivator of the Combined Body Realm.

Whatever the case, the five matches Daxia Sword Sect fought today had each been astounding beyond measure. The most harrowing was the final match, where Li Guanqi had struck out brazenly in the midst of a heavenly tribulation. No one had expected that he would utterly crush Lu Wuhen after breaking through.

The projection stones of the battle passed through countless hands, and the Guanyun Pavilion made a tidy profit. Even Ji Yuchuan admired Tang Ru’s foresight.

Tang Ru simply smiled. He recalled selling projection stones of Li Guanqi’s battles back during the fight at the Purple Sun Pavilion. He never could have guessed that years later, he’d be selling recordings of Li Guanqi’s fights again, but this time for a much higher price.

Li Guanqi stepped forward and vanished. When he reappeared, he closed his eyes and passed out in the medicinal pool.

Lu Kangnian followed close behind. With a wave of his hand, he unsealed several of the restrictions within the water bodies on the sect grounds, giving Li Guanqi and the others a number of rare and precious heavenly treasures without the slightest reluctance. Looking at the gravely injured young men before him, his eyes reddened, glistening with tears. Without them, the Daxia Sword Sect would undoubtedly have lost. After this battle, Lu Kangnian would no longer conceal his ambitions. If he was going to do this, he would do it to the very best of his ability.

Hum!

Nangong Xuandu passed straight through the barrier of the Purple Spirit Paradise Realm as though it didn’t exist. The azure-robed swordsman looked at Lu Kangnian, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly. “Sect Master Lu, feel free to claim the Lu clan’s resources whenever you wish.”

Lu Kangnian shook his head and said quietly, “I’ll leave that business to the others in the sect. I can’t bring myself to leave these kids.”

A glint passed through Nangong Xuandu’s eyes, and he smiled quietly. “Leave the youngsters to me. Your sect doesn’t seem all that settled right now. Handling the Lu clan’s resources is a prime assignment, an enviable one.”

He meant that if Lu Kangnian didn’t go himself, a good deal of it would likely get quietly pocketed along the way. Lu Kangnian frowned, thought it over, and had to admit there was truth in that. Besides, he could see that Nangong Xuandu was clearly partial to Li Guanqi. Had that not been so, Peng Luo would never have been able to enter a second time.

Lu Kangnian spoke with a pained look in his eyes. “Senior Nangong, is there any way that Guanqi’s sword can…”

Before he could finish, Nangong Xuandu shook his head with a grave expression. “It’s impossible. That sword was no ordinary blade. Lu Wuhen’s sword spirit void had something peculiar, and it was that peculiarity that allowed his companion sword to shatter Li Guanqi’s sword.”

Lu Kangnian let out a long sigh and cast one last look at the figures in the medicinal pool. He bowed deeply to Nangong Xuandu, then turned to leave.

Nangong Xuandu fell silent for a moment before raising his hand. A streak of azure sword light shot into Lu Kangnian’s brow.

Lu Kangnian staggered as though struck by a heavy blow. Instead of anger, however, wild joy flashed in his eyes. Nangong Xuandu had gifted him a wisp of Sword Soul Realm sword intent, something a man might search for ten thousand years and never obtain. Yet, Nangong Xuandu had just handed it to him outright.

Lu Kangnian immediately turned and dropped to one knee, and Nangong Xuandu accepted the gesture. Lu Kangnian pressed his forehead to the ground in sincere reverence, understanding exactly what was happening. From this day forward, they would share the bond of master and disciple. Whether or not Nangong Xuandu acknowledged him publicly, Lu Kangnian would treat him with all the respect and propriety owed to a master.

“Thank you for the gift of sword intent. I will cultivate diligently to ensure your kindness is never wasted.”

Lu Kangnian did not dare to put it too plainly, so he could only express his gratitude.

Nangong Xuandu smiled faintly and raised a hand. A gentle force lifted Lu Kangnian to his feet.

“Go and attend to the other matters first. Leave these youngsters to me,” Nangong Xuandu said quietly.

Lu Kangnian rose, then smiled and nodded before turning and disappearing from the realm.

Nangong Xuandu watched him go, his deep eyes shimmering with an unreadable light. He had no regrets.

Su Xuan had made Li Guanqi join the Daxia Sword Sect, and that alone made Lu Kangnian a man worth a second look. Nangong Xuandu trusted Su Xuan’s judgment. Whatever others might say about the Daxia Sword Sect, many sects had deeper foundations and richer traditions. So why had Su Xuan chosen this one, with Lu Kangnian at its head? It could only mean Su Xuan had seen something in Lu Kangnian worthy of his attention.

The corner of Nangong Xuandu’s mouth curved upward as he raised his wine to his lips, his eyes drifting over the figures in the spirit pool. All these youngsters are quite something.

Suddenly, a subtle yet powerful aura erupted from Li Guanqi, who was seated cross-legged in the center of the pool.

Even Nangong Xuandu was startled by it. He narrowed his eyes and stared at the center of the pool. After a moment’s thought, he appeared at the pool’s edge, tilted his gourd, and poured in the remaining spirit liquid. He looked down with a faint expression of pained regret and muttered, “What a loss I’ve taken this time!”

The wine in the gourd was of extreme purity, suffused with the essence of countless rare spirit plants, more than enough for healing.

By now, Cao Yan had nearly finished refining the Lightning Dragon Flame, and a small vortex had formed around him as he absorbed the spirit liquid.

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